Gardeners' Notes:

Having a blue poppy bloom and then die can hardly be considered a failure.

'Lingholm' is a seed strain rather than a single clone. A proportion of these seed-raised plants will die after flowering even with an optimal climate and optimal cultivation. And on the other hand, certain clones have been maintained by vegetative propagation for decades. When you buy seed-raised plants, whether your plant is genetically destined to die after flowering is simply a matter of chance.

The first time I planted a Meconopsis 'Lingholm', it died. I blamed it on not cutting the budding flower before it bloomed. But, I bought one from a perennial plant group's sale this spring and this time, it bloomed! I have it in mostly shade, in the back of my border where it gets sufficient moisture from our drip system. I did not cut the buds off as I wanted to see the glorious blue color and it didn't disappoint! Hopefully, it will come back next year. I intend to protect it well with mulch over the winter..

March 2014, Update: I've already mentioned my experience in another thread, but thought I'd add to this one. My second experience seems also to be a failure, even though the 2nd plant bloomed for me. A grower suggested that I should NOT have let it bloom. ... read more So, I've bought two more and will do as she said. The soil is very rich and it's in a shaded, protected location. Fingers crossed! :-)

I was so thrilled when I received the gift of a Meconopsis. It bloomed the first year, and it was breathtakingly beautiful. Luckily I took pictures, because it did not survive beyond that first season. Evidently they really are drought averse. It's the only thing I can think that I did wrong. It was planted beneath a fir tree where the soil tends to be dry and I must have let it go too dry for too long because it dried up and I never saw it again.
So, be sure to keep them watered!

Yippee! The two plants I put in last spring are up and about!
I tried 3 times to grow them from seed with no success so I bought two potted plants. They just hung in there last summer, with no buds, but now they are quite robust looking. They get morning sun, afternoon shade, humusy, well drained, double dug soil. Hopefuly I can post soon on how blue the flowers are!

I purchased my M. Lingholm from the Blue Poppy farm in Palmer. The plants wintered over quite well with some mulch, and shot up to over 4 ft tall when in bloom. There are multiple buds per stem, so the blooming continues for quite awhile. This is a hybrid that puts out a generous amount of seed that comes back true to the parent plant.